Tyler Hodgins: Please Try Again
April 25 to June 21, 2009
If someone said “please try again” would you consider it a gentle let down or an invitation for compulsive behaviour? Victoria-based artist Tyler Hodgins will have you exercise these thoughts and more this spring with his exhibition, Please Try Again. Using discarded instant crossword puzzle lottery tickets, Hodgins recreates a life-size array of lines, letters and words to fill one gallery wall. The resulting display evokes a sense of conviction for the positive and negative outcomes of lottery playing, not to mention themes of habit and chance.
In considering the self indulgence of lottery players, Hodgins says, “My compulsion to order and build things in the belief that these acts become meaningful as a result of repetition was countered by the bet-hedging of compulsive lottery players. As well, the idea of chance generated the sometimes inspired, often maddeningly pointless, word scramble of the grid of discarded tickets.” As a result of the grid, visitors will have the opportunity to observe the mesmerizing and chaotic graphic lines that simulate an optical illusion. The inherent irony is that the only illusion is the constant possibility of winning.
Known for his accomplishments in the public art realm, Tyler Hodgins makes an easy transition from sculptural installation to clever conceptual pieces. Since graduating in 1990 from The Victoria College of Art diploma program, Hodgins has been an Honorary Associate of the college since 1993. Hodgins’ work is primarily sculptural, but includes video, photography, installation works and public art, with works of public art in Nanaimo, Greater Victoria, and surrounding areas. This is Hodgins’ first exhibition at the Kelowna Art Gallery, although he has exhibited in Victoria, Vancouver, and Calgary. He has work in public and private collections in Canada and the United States.
